Timeline
The American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery administers primary certification exams, subspecialty certification exams and Osteopathic Continuous Certification requirements. The following stages represent key milestones in the process to obtain primary board certification in Orthopedic Surgery.
Written Exam
1. In order to take the Orthopedic Surgery Written Exam, applicants must have completed, or be in their fourth or fifth year of, an ACGME-accredited training program in orthopedic surgery. Fourth year residents must provide a letter of approval from their Program Director to be accepted.
2. The Orthopedic Surgery Written Exam is offered once per year in May.
Clinical Exam
3. The Orthopedic Surgery Clinical Exam takes place in two cycles every year, in winter and summer. Applications for the summer clinicals are due in February, and applications for the winter clinicals are due in August.
4. Starting with the 2019-20 winter clinical cycle, those who took Part I of the Written Exam in May 2018 or after will take a new format of the Clinical Exam, which will include a case defense component. Candidates who successfully completed the Part II Oral exam will be able to finish their certification process via the Historical Format Clinical exam which does not include the case defense component. The Historical Format Clinical Exam will retire after 2024.
Become Board Certified
5. Upon successful completion of all exam components, the AOBOS will recommend osteopathic board certification to the AOA.
6. You will receive a letter from the AOA via email once certification has been approved.
7. You are now board certified. You will receive your certification in the mail within 90 days.
8. Once certified diplomates are required to participate in Continuous Certification activities. Diplomates are given one full year hiatus before participation in Component 3: Cognitive Assessment is required. The board will contact you via email to register.
Osteopathic Continuous Certification
9. Maintain active licensure.
10. Participate in lifelong learning and continuing medical education.
11. Complete the cognitive assessment.
12. Complete the practice performance assessment.